Christmas reins dear

We went to look at some photos that had been taken a couple of weeks ago but were quite early so decided to take a short walk with Iz down Hamlet Court Road holding both of our hands. I’ll be glad when she grows a bit taller as she didn’t half hurt my back on our little jaunt.

At this stage Isabelle, in waddling and not in looks, reminded of that scene from E.T. where he goes out trick or treating, minus the white sheet of course.

And so with walking inside mastered, well as much as you can in a day, Isabelle took to the streets of Southend to huge crowds. Of course, they weren’t all here to cheer on Iz but were thronging Southend for the Christmas lights switch-on.

It was perhaps rather ironic that we first tried out Isabelle’s reins stood next to the Reindeers near Pier Hill, initial results were a bit iffy as she was more like a puppet on a string but then, quite literally, she has got to walk before she can run…and then we’ll have to run after her. Perhaps we’ll fit one of Missy’s extendable leads to her.

As the crowds got more dense, in numbers and not stupidity that is, although as usual there were the few people devoid of any sense of direction etc, Isabelle found herself back in the safe confines of her pushchair.

We headed up from right near the seafront to the opposite end of the high street and towards the sound of music – no not a group of small German children singing – from the Heart FM stage where the light switch on countdown would take place.

Taking a pit stop for an egg nog and gingerbread latte from Starbucks we then joined in the countdown and Iz loved the noise, the lights, but most of all she loved the fake snow that came cascading down – just don’t go eating it as it tastes like washing up liquid.